Another heritage structure in Madurai, Melamadai chavadi, bites the dust

Septuagenarians watch as historic Melamadai chavadi is demolished for flyover construction, erasing a century-old landmark.

Irulaiyee and Ponnamma, both septuagenarians, sit outside their house at Melamadai watching a landmark disappearing right in front of their eyes.

The flyover on Sivaganga Road, spanning 1.1 km, is being constructed by NHAI over Melamadai junction at a cost of ₹118.79 crore. The project also envisages laying of a 7.5 metre wide service road, stormwater drainage for a total length of 3.2 km and parapet for 975 metres on the bunds of Vandiyur lake.

In this process, the Melamadai chavadi that was built in the year 1905 has been demolished. Fragments of the walls remain and soon even that will be cleared.

According to the long-time residents, the chavadi was built by the villagers of Melamadai more than 100 years ago, when apart from the few families living here much of the area was under paddy cultivation. Usually, chavadis are built at the centre of the village, but this chavadi was built on the road that winds across the lake. Earlier, this was the only road from Madurai to Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram. 

Hence, this chavadi played host to various kinds of people, says Thamizhthaasn, a resident of the area and an heritage enthusiast.

“It was a place for travellers and wayfarers to take a rest. It was here that the Melamadai panchayat held its meetings, decisions regarding local issues were taken and disputes resolved. This was also the place that bustled with energy when devotees coming for the Chitrai festival sat on the steps waiting for Lord Kallazhagar’s arrival. In short it stood as a record of the social milieu of that period. Slowly when the city engulfed this village, the chavadi metamorphosed into a bus shelter,” he added.

Now, this limestone bound fired brick structure with round pillars and having a teakwood ceiling is just rubble.